In 2022, about 37.7 percent of the U.S. population who were aged 25 and above had graduated from college or another higher education institution, a slight decline from 37.9 the previous year. However, this is a significant increase from 1960, when only 7.7 percent of the U.S. population had graduated from college. Demographics Educational attainment varies by gender, location, race, and age throughout the United States. Asian-American and Pacific Islanders had the highest level of education, on average, while Massachusetts and the District of Colombia are areas home to the highest rates of residents with a bachelor’s degree or higher. However, education levels are correlated with wealth. While public education is free up until the 12th grade, the cost of university is out of reach for many Americans, making social mobility increasingly difficult. Earnings White Americans with a professional degree earned the most money on average, compared to other educational levels and races. However, regardless of educational attainment, males typically earned far more on average compared to females. Despite the decreasing wage gap over the years in the country, it remains an issue to this day. Not only is there a large wage gap between males and females, but there is also a large income gap linked to race as well.

In an impressive increase from years past, 40.1 percent of women in the United States had completed four years or more of college in 2024. This figure is up from 3.8 percent of women in 1940. A significant increase can also be seen in males, with 37.1 percent of the U.S. male population having completed four years or more of college in 2024, up from 5.5 percent in 1940. 4- and 2-year colleges In the United States, college students are able to choose between attending a 2-year postsecondary program and a 4-year postsecondary program. Generally, attending a 2-year program results in an Associate’s Degree, and 4-year programs result in a Bachelor’s Degree. Many 2-year programs are designed so that attendees can transfer to a college or university offering a 4-year program upon completing their Associate’s. Completion of a 4-year program is the generally accepted standard for entry-level positions when looking for a job. Earnings after college Factors such as gender, degree achieved, and the level of postsecondary education can have an impact on employment and earnings later in life. Some Bachelor’s degrees continue to attract more male students than female, particularly in STEM fields, while liberal arts degrees such as education, languages and literatures, and communication tend to see higher female attendance. All of these factors have an impact on earnings after college, and despite nearly the same rate of attendance within the American population between males and females, men with a Bachelor’s Degree continue to have higher weekly earnings on average than their female counterparts.

College Completion Dataset

Graduation Rates, Race, Efficiency Measures and More

By Jonathan Ortiz [source]

About this dataset

This College Completion dataset provides an invaluable insight into the success and progress of college students in the United States. It contains graduation rates, race and other data to offer a comprehensive view of college completion in America. The data is sourced from two primary sources – the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)’ Integrated Postsecondary Education System (IPEDS) and Voluntary System of Accountability’s Student Success and Progress rate.

At four-year institutions, the graduation figures come from IPEDS for first-time, full-time degree seeking students at the undergraduate level, who entered college six years earlier at four-year institutions or three years earlier at two-year institutions. Furthermore, colleges report how many students completed their program within 100 percent and 150 percent of normal time which corresponds with graduation within four years or six year respectively. Students reported as being of two or more races are included in totals but not shown separately

When analyzing race and ethnicity data NCES have classified student demographics since 2009 into seven categories; White non-Hispanic; Black non Hispanic; American Indian/ Alaskan native ; Asian/ Pacific Islander ; Unknown race or ethnicity ; Non resident with two new categorize Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander combined with Asian plus students belonging to several races. Also worth noting is that different classifications for graduate data stemming from 2008 could be due to variations in time frame examined & groupings used by particular colleges – those who can’t be identified from National Student Clearinghouse records won’t be subjected to penalty by these locations .

When it comes down to efficiency measures parameters like “Awards per 100 Full Time Undergraduate Students which includes all undergraduate completions reported by a particular institution including associate degrees & certificates less than 4 year programme will assist us here while we also take into consideration measures like expenditure categories , Pell grant percentage , endowment values , average student aid amounts & full time faculty members contributing outstandingly towards instructional research / public service initiatives .

When trying to quantify outcomes back up Median Estimated SAT score metric helps us when it is derived either on 25th percentile basis / 75th percentile basis with all these factors further qualified by identifying required criteria meeting 90% threshold when incoming students are considered for relevance . Last but not least , Average Student Aid equalizes amount granted by institution dividing same over total sum received against what was allotted that particular year .

All this analysis gives an opportunity get a holistic overview about performance , potential deficits &

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How to use the dataset

This dataset contains data on student success, graduation rates, race and gender demographics, an efficiency measure to compare colleges across states and more. It is a great source of information to help you better understand college completion and student success in the United States.

In this guide we’ll explain how to use the data so that you can find out the best colleges for students with certain characteristics or focus on your target completion rate. We’ll also provide some useful tips for getting the most out of this dataset when seeking guidance on which institutions offer the highest graduation rates or have a good reputation for success in terms of completing programs within normal timeframes.

Before getting into specifics about interpreting this dataset, it is important that you understand that each row represents information about a particular institution – such as its state affiliation, level (two-year vs four-year), control (public vs private), name and website. Each column contains various demographic information such as rate of awarding degrees compared to other institutions in its sector; race/ethnicity Makeup; full-time faculty percentage; median SAT score among first-time students; awards/grants comparison versus national average/state average - all applicable depending on institution location — and more!

When using this dataset, our suggestion is that you begin by forming a hypothesis or research question concerning student completion at a given school based upon observable characteristics like financ...

On-time and extended-time graduation rates by gender, collected very year by the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC) for the true cohort high school graduation rate data collection.

The dataset includes 1000 rows, with one row for each high school in the dataset. The graduation rates for each school were generated randomly, and are not based on any actual data.

Columns

ACT composite score

SAT total score

Parental level of education

Parental income

high school GPA

college gpa

years to graduate

This dataset could be useful for exploring trends in graduation rates over time, comparing graduation rates between different regions or states, or analyzing factors that may be associated with changes in graduation rates over time. However, it is important to keep in mind that the data is not based on actual data, and should be used for exploratory or educational purposes only.

source: http: https://roycekimmons.com/tools/generated_data/graduation_rate

cover image: https://pin.it/3y4a0ks

Full Description The variable examined is graduation status after four years of high school. Early and summer graduates are considered graduates after four years. The "other" rate includes students who dropped out of high school, enrolled in a GED program, transferred to post-secondary education, or have unknown status. Special education students in school after four years but subsequently graduated are not included in the "still enrolled" rate due to Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) restrictions. The subgroups reported are gender, race/ethnicity, English language learners, special education students, and students eligible for free or reduced-price meals (FRPM). The data replace the rate of students enrolled in 12th grade in September who graduated the following June. Connecticut State Department of Education (SDE) collects data longitudinally by four-year cohorts. SDE reports and CTdata.org carries graduation rates of four-year cohorts annually.

This statistic shows the higher education graduation rate in the United States from the 2000/01 academic year to 2016/17. The graduation rate includes all those who completed their higher education certificate or degree within 150% of normal completion time. The graduation rate has remained relatively constant over time and most recently in 2017/18 the graduation rate stood at 50 percent.

In the academic year of 2021/22, about 835,320 male and almost 1.18 million female students earned a bachelor's degree in the United States. By the academic year of 2031/32, the number of male bachelor's degree recipients is expected to reach 975,020. Bachelor’s degrees in the United States American students typically earn a Bachelor’s degree for an undergraduate course of study and it is normally completed in four years. Depending on the major, students receive a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Fine Arts, or another type of certificate. In 2021, about 1.17 million white students earned a Bachelor's degree, followed by 324,848 Hispanic students. Bachelor's degrees and earnings When looking at the mean income of Bachelor’s degree holders in 2021, there are marked differences between the female and male Bachelor’s degree holders. Men with a Bachelor’s degree earned about 107,315 U.S. dollars per year, compared to women, who earned 77,099 U.S. dollars per year. In addition, salaries tended to increase the more educated a person was.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate - College Graduates - Bachelor's Degree, 25 to 34 years (CGBD2534) from Jan 2000 to Sep 2025 about 25 to 34 years, tertiary schooling, education, unemployment, rate, and USA.

Statistics on postsecondary graduates, including the number of graduates, the percentage of female graduates and age at graduation, are presented by the province of study and the level of study. Estimates are available at five-year intervals.

Key Features

How to use this dataset

1. Population Analysis: Explore population trends and growth rates in different states, identifying demographic shifts over time.

2. Educational Attainment: Investigate the educational landscape by analyzing the percentage of individuals with bachelor's degrees, with a focus on various racial groups.

3. Diversity Insights: Examine racial demographics, educational achievements, and their intersections to gain insights into the diversity of educational attainment across states.

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The U.S. Department of Education’s graduation rate, which is reported through the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), is a nationally recognized and commonly used metric in higher education. Graduation rate is calculated as the percentage of first‐time, full‐time, degree/certificate seeking students that complete a CCC program within 150% of the estimated time it takes to complete the program.

This indicator includes the high school graduation rates by district for the following districts with high schools within Champaign County: Champaign Community Unit School District #4, Fisher Community Unit School District #1, Mahomet-Seymour Community Unit School District #3, Rantoul Township High School District #193, St. Joseph-Ogden Community High School District #305, Tolono Community Unit School District #7, and Urbana School District #116.

Between 2010 and 2024, the graduation rates of the different districts fluctuated independently of each other, with no trend prevalent across the board. The Illinois Report Card states that there is a possible data impact on the 2020 and 2021 graduation rates due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This could explain the uncharacteristically low graduation rate in Tolono District #7 in 2021 compared to previous years. However, the graduation rate in Champaign Unit #4 and Urbana District #116 increased from 2019 to 2021, and the graduation rate in St. Joseph-Ogden District #305 was the same in 2019 and 2021.

The average graduation rate across all Champaign County high schools increased from 87.7% in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic to 88.1% in 2023 when the pandemic emergency ended. This rate increased again in 2024 to 89.2%. High school graduation rates are an apt measure of pre-college academic achievement in the county, and provide context for the other indicators in the education category.

This data, along with a variety of other school district data, is available on the Illinois Report Card, an Illinois State Board of Education and Northern Illinois University website.

Sources: Illinois Report Card. (2023-2024). Champaign CUSD 4. Illinois State Board of Education. (Accessed 6 December 2024). Illinois Report Card. (2023-2024). Fisher CUSD 1. Illinois State Board of Education. (Accessed 6 December 2024). Illinois Report Card. (2023-2024). Mahomet-Seymour CUSD 3. Illinois State Board of Education. (Accessed 6 December 2024). Illinois Report Card. (2023-2024). Rantoul Township HSD 193. Illinois State Board of Education. (Accessed 6 December 2024). Illinois Report Card. (2023-2024). St. Joseph Ogden CHSD 305. Illinois State Board of Education. (Accessed 6 December 2024). Illinois Report Card. (2023-2024). Tolono CUSD 7. Illinois State Board of Education. (Accessed 6 December 2024). Illinois Report Card. (2023-2024). Urbana SD 116. Illinois State Board of Education. (Accessed 6 December 2024).

Metric scores are not reported for n-sizes under 10. Per OSSE's policy, secondary suppression is applied to all student groups when a complementary group has an n-size under 10 or is top/bottom suppressed to prevent the calculation of suppressed data.

Data Source: DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education

Why This Matters

Graduating from high school is a critical step in advancing along educational and professional paths. Many careers and almost all colleges require a high school diploma or GED.

Educational attainment is strongly linked with socioeconomic and health outcomes. Americans who graduate high school tend to have higher incomes than those who do not. High school graduates also tend to live longer, healthier, and happier lives.

Black, Hispanic, and Native American students in the U.S. have lower graduation rates, on average, than white students. Segregation and historical disinvestment in communities of color play a significant role in these disparities. Poverty and limited educational resources act as barriers to graduation.

The District Response

The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE)’s Reimagining High School Graduation Requirements initiative aims to identify and implement new high school graduation requirements that incorporate outcome measures and support innovative approaches to preparing young people for life after graduation.

The District of Columbia Public Schools offers a number of supports to both proactively aid students in graduating and assist those at risk of not graduating.

Since 2014, those who pass the GED receive a State High School Diploma instead of a GED credential. This more accurately represents the dedication, hard work, and demonstration of skill it takes for residents to successfully complete this alternative path to a high school diploma.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate - College Graduates - Bachelor's Degree, 25 years and over, Women (CGBD25OW) from Jan 2000 to Sep 2025 about 25 years +, tertiary schooling, females, education, unemployment, rate, and USA.

The Recent College Graduates (RCG) survey estimates the potential supply of newly qualified teachers in the United States and explores the immediate post-degree employment and education experiences of individuals obtaining bachelor's or master's degrees from American colleges and universities. The RCG survey, which focuses heavily, but not exclusively, on those graduates qualified to teach at the elementary and secondary levels, is designed to meet the following objectives: (1) to determine how many graduates become eligible or qualified to teach for the first time and how many are employed as teachers in the year following graduation, by teaching field, (2) to examine the relationships among courses taken, student achievement, and occupational outcomes, and (3) to monitor unemployment rates and average salaries of graduates by field of study. The RCG survey collects information on education and employment of all graduates (date of graduation, field of study, whether newly qualified to teach, further enrollment, financial aid, employment status, and teacher employment characteristics) as well as standard demographic characteristics such as earnings, age, marital status, sex, and race/ethnicity.

This study includes the federal graduation rate for all NCAA member institutions who participated in Division I or Division II sports. It also describes the Graduation Success Rate (GSR) for all Division I institutions and the Academic Success Rate (ASR) of all Division II institutions. The rates included in this study are based on championship sport student-athletes who first began their full-time postsecondary education in academic years 1995-96 through 2008-09.Each cohort was tracked for 6 years for college completion. For example, the graduation status for the latest cohort (2008-09 cohort) was tracked through the spring of 2014. At their core, all three measures are based on a comparison of the number of students who entered a college or university in a given year and the number of those who graduated within six years of their initial enrollment, though each measure has a slightly different cohort definition. Federal graduation rates are based on the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System Graduation Rates (IPEDS-GRS) which is defined as a six-year proportion of those student-athletes who graduated versus those who entered an institution on institutional aid. Federal graduation rates are included for both an institution's student-athletes and its general student body. In addition to the student-athlete data in the graduation-rates data, the Division I Graduation Success Rate (GSR) accounts for student-athletes who transfer into an institution while discounting student-athletes who separate from the institution and would have been academically eligible to compete had they returned. The definition of the Division II Academic Success Rate (ASR) cohort is identical to that of the GSR with the exception that it also includes freshmen who did not receive athletics aid, but did participate in athletics.

This dataset provides the 4-Year graduation rates in Iowa by cohort (represented by graduating class) and public school district starting with the Class of 2009. A cohort in the graduation rate calculation starts with a group of students entering ninth grade for the first time. The cohort is adjusted to add students that transfer in and subtract students that transfer out during a four year time period for calculating a graduation rate.

This map shows the 4-year high school graduation rate in 2005-6 compared to the target rate. The map switches from state, to county data as the map zooms in. High school graduation is the leading health indicator for Social Determinants. A range of personal, social, economic, and environmental factors contribute to individual and population health. For example, people with a quality education, stable employment, safe homes and neighborhoods, and access to preventive services tend to be healthier throughout their lives. Conversely, poor health outcomes are often made worse by the interaction between individuals and their social and physical environment. Social determinants are in part responsible for the unequal and avoidable differences in health status within and between communities. The selection of Social Determinants as a Leading Health Topic recognizes the critical role of home, school, workplace, neighborhood, and community in improving health. For a complete list of indicators, please visit http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/LHI/default.aspx. Note that many of the indicators on the Healthy Living list are not broken out below the national level; substitutions were made based on data in the Health Indicator warehouse (http://www.healthindicators.gov).

This dataset shows the percentage of students who graduated from Massachusetts public schools with a regular high school diploma within 4 or 5 years. It is a long file that contains multiple rows for each school and district, with rows for different years and different student groups.

Note: Data is currently available at the school level only, as well as the state overall. For district-level graduation rates, please see the High School Graduation Rates dataset, or the High School Graduation Rates report on our DESE Profiles site.

Economically Disadvantaged was used 2015-2021. Low Income was used prior to 2015, and a different version of Low Income has been used since 2022. Please see the DESE Researcher's Guide for more information. 

For more data about student experiences and outcomes in high school and beyond, please see the main DART: Success After High School dataset and dashboard.